Image processing device and image processing system

Abstract

An image processing device includes a plurality of printers (Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, Pr4, . . . ) and a plurality of client machines (PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4, PC5, . . . ). When requesting an image data processing to a printer other than the printer to which an image data processing has been requested firstly, the client machine checks the security level of the other printer to which the image data processing is to be requested before requesting the image data distribution processing to the other printer. When selecting another printer to which the image data distribution processing is to be requested, the security level in each printer is sufficiently considered.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to an image processing device and image processing system which verify security levels of second image data processing means to which the image data processing is to be requested when requesting the second data processing means to perform distributed processing of image data inputted by an image data processing requesting means or alternate processing of subsequent part of the image data in addition to / in place of an image data processing means first requested to process the image data before requesting the image data distributed processing and the alternate processing of subsequent image data to the second image data processing means.DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART[0002]Conventionally, inkjet printers, laser printers, and the like have been commercialized as printers for personal computers and the like.[0003]On the other hand, with growth in the networking market, network printers to be installed on a network and shared by a plur...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017]According to the present invention, the given image data processing requesting means verifies security levels of second image data processing means and then requests the second image data processing means to perform distributed processing of image data in addition to an image data processing means first requested to process the image data and gives careful consideration to the security level of each image data processing means when selecting the second data processing means for distributed processing of the image data. This makes it possible to avoid concentration of the image data processing on a specific image data processing means, allowing the selected second image data processing means to perform distributed processing of the entrusted image data in conjunction with the image data processing means first requested to process the image data and keeping security of the image data in mind until the distributed processing of the image data is completed even when improving processing efficiency by the distribution of the image data processing.

[0019]According to the present invention, the given image data processing requesting means selects, from among the plurality of image data processing means, all other image data processing means whose security level is equal to or higher than the security level of the image data processing means first requested to process the image data, reliably picks up second image data processing means best suited to actual distributed processing of the image data, and requests the selected second image data processing means to perform distributed processing of the image data. The selected second image data processing means can perform distributed processing of the entrusted image data quickly. Consequently, the security level of the image data is guaranteed until the distributed processing of the image data is completed even when improving processing efficiency by the distribution of the image data processing.

[0021]According to the present invention, the given image data processing requesting means verifies a security level of a second image data processing means to which the image data processing is to be requested and then requests the second image data processing means to perform alternate processing of the image data in place of an image data processing means first requested to process the image data if the first image data processing means can no longer continue processing subsequent part of the image data. When selecting second image data processing means to which the image data alternate processing is to be requested, the security level in each image data processing means is sufficiently considered. This prevents the processing of the image data from being suspended on a specific image data processing means and allows the selected second image data processing means to perform alternate processing of the subsequent part of the entrusted image data in place of the image data processing means first requested to process the image data, keeping security of the image data in mind until the alternate processing of the image data is completed even when ensuring reliability of image data processing by the alternate processing of the image data.

[0023]According to the present invention, the image data processing requesting means selects, from among the plurality of image data processing means, all other image data processing means whose security level is equal to or higher than the security level of the image data processing means first requested to process the image data, reliably picks up second image data processing means best suited to actual alternate processing of the image data, and requests the selected second image data processing means to perform alternate processing of the image data. The selected second image data processing means can perform alternate processing of the entrusted image data quickly. Consequently, the security level of the image data is guaranteed until the alternate processing of the image data is completed even when ensuring reliability of image data processing by the alternate processing of the image data.

[0025]According to the present invention, the given image data processing requesting means verifies security levels of second image data processing means to which the image data distributed processing is to be requested and then requests the second image data processing means to perform distributed processing of the image data in addition to an image data processing means first requested to process the image data and gives careful consideration to the security level of the second data processing means when selecting the second data processing means to request distributed processing of the image data. This makes it possible to avoid concentration of the image data processing on a specific image data processing means, allowing the second image data processing means to perform distributed processing of the image data together with the image data processing means first requested to process the image data, allowing the selected second image data processing means to perform distributed processing of the entrusted image data in conjunction with the image data processing means first requested to process the image data, and keeping security of the image data in mind until the distributed processing of the image data is completed even when improving processing efficiency by the distribution of the image data processing.

[0027]According to the present invention, the given image data processing requesting means verifies a security level of a second image data processing means to which the image data alternate processing is to be requested and then requests the second image data processing means to perform alternate processing of the image data if the first image data processing means can no longer continue processing subsequent part of the image data and gives careful consideration to the security level of each of the second image data processing means when selecting the second image data processing means to request alternate processing of the image data. This prevents the processing of the image data from being suspended on a specific image data processing means and allows the second image data processing means to perform alternate processing of the subsequent part of the image data in place of the image data processing means first requested to process the image data, keeping security of the image data in mind until the alternate processing of the image data is completed even when ensuring reliability of image data processing by the alternate processing of the image data.

Problems solved by technology

Against this backdrop, networks with a large number of client machines and a high utilization rate of network printers encounter problems such as suspended processing of print jobs on printers on the network.

When requesting a network printer to process a print job consisting of large amounts of data, print processing speed of the printer requested to process the print job becomes a problem.

A simple solution will be to install high-speed network printers, which, however, are expensive.

Also, while a print job is being processed by image processing device, if one image processing device runs into trouble (paper jam, paper-out condition, low-toner condition, etc.) and can no longer continue subsequent processing, the system makes another image processing device take over the discontinued printing process to complete an output process (alternate processing).

However, a problem with the conventional distributed processing or alternate processing methods is that the security levels of devices are not taken into consideration when selecting the devices for distributed processing or alternate processing.

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